Daisies In The Water
by The Cat Whiskers
Summary: Over the past twelve moons, cats from two Clans have been going missing. The bodies of friends, family, brothers and sisters are found floating at the waters edge. Like daisies in the water. Tension is building, suspicions are rising. Accusations are being thrown from cat to cat, and rumors are spreading. Who is killing the cats of the lake?
1. Prancing in the Meadows

**Five Moons Ago...**

Beetlewhisker greatly enjoyed greenleaf. The warm temperatures offset the cold of the winds on the moor, turning the cold claws of the breeze from cruel to gentle and sweet. He loved the way the thorn-sharp talons became the casual, blunt edge of a claw, running teasingly through the short strands of his black pelt. On the days where the winds played merrily with the dancing golden grasses of BreezeClan territory, Beetlewhisker loved to sprint across the moors and feel the gentle feeling, the breeze against his skin, the grass tickling his long legs.

He hadn't done it since becoming deputy, though. There was simply too much to be done to have time to play. And what would Heatherstar think? He missed it at times, particularly in the mornings, where the pale light of dawn soaked the moors, and the winds blew almost absent-mindedly over the grass, meandering their way to and from the lake. Beetlewhisker felt blessed to call these beautiful lands his home.

"Beetlewhisker, did you smell that?" Briarcloud mewed, shaking the black tom from his daydreams. He blinked his green eyes a few times, before resting his gaze upon the brown and white she-cat. He had always thought she was rather pretty; maybe it was her feminine posture, or those gorgeous amber eyes.

"No, sorry," Beetlewhisker mewed in reply, "I had my head in the clouds for a second there. What did you smell? Did anyone else catch it?"

He looked at Daisypaw and Mudpaw. They, also, looked completely blank - probably gossiping. Beetlewhisker parted his maw for a second, exposing his teeth, about to tell them off for not paying attention, before realising that he had just been doing the exact same thing. With a slight hiss, he dropped his gaze to the ground, scolding himself for being such a bad example to the younger cats.

"It smelt like death," Briarcloud mewed quietly, tail tip twitching nervously "It's coming from by the lake; I can't quite make out what it is, but it sure doesn't smell the greatest.."

Beetlewhisker nodded slowly, analysing the situation. Whatever the creature was, he would have to check it out and report it to Froststar as soon as he could. The black tom flicked his tail, beckoning the rest of the patrol to follow him as he set off in the direction of the lake shore. He set a trotting gait, enjoying the feeling of the warm, green-leaf sun on his back, but also a tad of urgency in his step. There was no birdsong today. Either that or, it had just not found it's way to the moors yet. It was nice anyway, calming, soothing, hearing the rustle-thud of the four cats loping across the grasses, the soft sighs of their breath.

As they came to the crest of a hill, Beetlewhisker caught a glance of the lake. Playful claws skimmed the surface, ruffling the water, causing it to lap at the muddy shore. After pausing to admire the view, the tom picked a route through the fronds of tall grass on to the lower land. A breeze danced through the short hairs of Beetlewhisker's pelt, bringing with it a rancid smell that made his black nose wrinkle in disgust. Briarcloud had been right.

"What is that!" exclaimed Daisypaw, her eyes wide and ears pinned back against her small cranium.

"Hush!" Beetlewhisker replied, "We don't know what's out there, so keep your wits about you, and please be quiet!" Daisypaw's head drooped under the hard glare of the deputy. _Good, _he thought, _she learned something today other than to day-dream on duty._

The patrol edged forward to the shore. Beetlewhisker could feel the sticky, wet mud beneath his paw-pads and he hated it. How MistClan could trudge through this substance on a daily basis was beyond the tom; nevermind how they enjoyed playing in the water like fish. Rain was enough to make Beetlewhisker wince, dampening his mood to say the least.

"Look!" Mudpaw whispered, his voice hushed almost to the point of the water lapping at the shore stealing it. Beetlewhisker followed the flick of the brown tom's tail, tracing round the edges of the lake, to where a grey shape lay. The black tom's heart pounded in his chest. Aspenfur had been missing for two days now - and whoever was laying at the water's edge was most certainly a cat.

"Mudpaw, Daisypaw, get back to camp and once. Tell Heatherstar to send two more warriors to the lake, and make it quick. There isn't time for any questions - go!" Beetlewhisker ordered. He watched as the two apprentices scampered back up the hill and watched as Mudpaw's brown tail disappeared into the grass.

"You think it's Aspenfur, don't you?" Briarcloud mewed, her voice shaky. "That's why you sent Daisypaw back - because she would be distraught to see her mother in such a state.."

Beetlewhisker gave a slow and solemn nod. Aspenfur had been one of his friends during his apprenticeship - she was so kind, gentle, but had a fight in her. The two cats approached the limp body, gazing sadly at her tangled grey pelt and distant green eyes. There was no sign of any pawprints, or anything which could help them find what caused such a sweet cat to die; they were left with nothing.


	2. Angry Skies

**Hi guys, here's another update for you. I hope you enjoy! Please let me know what you think of this story! Also, I'm looking for some main characters, two from each Clan { BreezeClan and MistClan } so you can leave some names / looks / personalities in the reviews section. I would also like to explain that this part of the story is kind of like a three-piece prologue - so characters may change around a bit c:**  
**I will post part three as soon as possible!**

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**Six Moons Ago..  
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It was a brisk afternoon, and a rather silent one at that. The sky was dark and dreary, and a light cloud of mist was closing in over the territory giving the land and eerie feel. It had rained that morning and the levels of the stream had risen, and most of the territory was boggy. However Newtsplash had never been the type to allow herself to be cooped up in camp for no true reason. She had woken up bright and early and gave her pelt a proper grooming, only for it to be ruined by the downpour.

Not about to let her good mood be dampened, Newtsplash trotted over to the scrawny fresh-kill pile for something to eat. A small trout and a funny smelling minnow. Slim pickings. The silver she-cat decided that somebody else would want the fish more than she did, and seen as everybody else was diving back into their nests like scaredy-mice, she would go hunting. After asking for Reedstar's approval, she left camp.

Newtsplash followed the path of the swollen river, trying to scent for prey in the heavy air. It seemed, like the cats of MistClan, they prey had gone back to their burrows. The she-cat didn't fancy an attempt at fishing today - it had never exactly been her forte, and the waters looked angry today. With a sigh, the warrior changed direction, hoping for some more luck in the other end of the territory.

Up above, in the dreary sky, dark clouds rumbled and talked bitter words to eachother. Transparent droplets of rain would soon fall again; hopefully she would be tucked away in her nest by then, she didn't fancy getting wet again. With cautious paws, the lithe silver shadow slipped through the tall grasses. Old willow tree's, that were anchored by their deep roots into the riverbank, danced in the soft breeze. They reached out to Newtsplash with their long tendrils, trying to grasp her body with their skeletal fingertips. Newtsplash hissed and dived out of their way, sending up a spray of mud. The atmosphere was tense, like something was about to happen.

Her paws had carried her to the border with BreezeClan, and her blue eyes gazed across the damp moorlands. Clouds of mist rolled down the empty hillsides. BreezeClan would probably be disgusted by the weather moreso than MistClan cats. They always blamed rain on the rivers that resided in her territory, which was probably true, but she still didn't want to admit that to the stupid BreezeClan furballs. They always thought they were right, and if she agreed with one of them, the whole Clan's ego would blow up.

With a snort, Newtsplash re-marked the border incase the rain had washed them away, just so the BreezeClan rabbit-brains got the idea. Tensions were high between the two Clans, after Cloudface's kit's had gone missing from the nursery. The majority of MistClan believed it to be cats from their one and only rival Clan, BreezeClan. Rumours had been going about for awhile that they were short on cats, so wouldn't helpless young be an easy target to bump up their numbers? Newtsplash hissed at the thought, and continued to trace the border until she came right up to the lake shore. The sound of waves crashing against the pebbles was almost soothing from the silence she had just experienced. Above, the sky began to crackle. The rain would be coming sooner than she had first thought.

She changed her gait to a slow lope, and felt the fingers of the wind claw at her short fur, as if it was trying to desperatly trying to find a way inside of her body so it could chill her right to the bone. Newtsplash shivered at the thought. It was weird to think that only a few sun-rises ago, it had been warm and welcoming in the territory - now everything seemed out to bring her down. Another breeze danced around the silver she-cat, but this time, it carried a strange scent.

Newtsplash halted, skidding slightly in the muddy conditions. "What in StarClan was that?" she exclaimed, scenting the moist air once again. Her blue eyes traced the shore, trying to find the culprit of this absurd scent..

And there it was.

Hoisted over a large boulder were two broken bodies. Tiny, sodden corpses.

Cloudface's kits.


	3. Alive in Memories

**Hi guys, thanks for all the reviews! I've updated this because for some reason their were huge breaks in my paragraphs, and there were some spelling errors. Please PM me some cats, as I need some for my Clan and possibly main characters! Again, please remember to R&R!**

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**Five Moons Ago..**

Darkness was beginning to fall. Hours had passed, hours of much needed sleep for Heatherstar. And yet, since waking, she hadn't moved a muscle. She sat hunched in the darkness, her mind plagued with the images of the sodden corpse of three of her warriors. Their lives had been stolen, and they had been sent to StarClan far too early. The lichen curtain obscured her view of the Clan who milled obviously beyond the safety of her den. For them, they simply awaited in anticipation of a moment they knew would come soon. Heatherstar swallowed, hanging her head. Her shoulders drew up around her, as if her own body could protect her from this ebbing dread. Almost as if the winds were mocking her, she could swear Harepelt's scent was wrapped around her. She glanced around the gloomy stone den. She was alone.

And it was today, the day of the Gathering, she would be forced to admit it, to realise the truth of the matter. Harepelt was gone. His oversized brown paws didn't walk the same soils as her anymore. Her eyes fluttered closed, flashing images and fragments of sounds battered at her memory. There he was, sitting with his cocky smile, illuminated in the shafts of the moonlight. He was more handsome than her memory gave him credit for.

Heatherstar opened her eyes, some sort of resignation hanging in the back of her gaze. She would meet him again someday, in the stars. Until then, he would solely reside in her most treasured memories. The grey she-cat heaved her feminine frame to her paws, and pushed through the curtain that came between her and the Clan. As she appeared, she noticed that the entire Clan was in the hollow, chatting happily and there was a buzz of excitement and anticipation in the air for the call they knew would come. Heatherstar felt a slight smile tug at her lips. She bunched her muscles, leaping and scaling the high rock. The wind was strong tonight. It battered her wispy pelt. She kept her head high, calling out in a strong voice - "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the highrock for a Clan meeting!" She would not mince words, not tonight. They all knew what she had to say, what was coming. And she would not keep them waiting any longer. Her tail tip twitched. The Clan was already gathered below her. She called out again, "The night of the gathering is upon us. It is tonight we shall announce our losses, and confront MistClan about the deaths," Her green eyes scanned the cats below, "Mallowfoot, Beetlewhisker, Appleleaf, Sedgeclaw, Mudpaw and Birchpaw will be attending tonight." It was perhaps unusual to bring so few members of the Clan, but many were mourning, and she did not wish to drag them somewhere they didn't wish to be.

"Heatherstar, let me come," a voice rang out in the hollow. It was Briarcloud, a pretty brown and white she-cat. "I was one of the warriors to find a body. I can explain more so than those who have not..found an unfortunate soul."

There was silence for a second, and Heatherstar held a firm gaze with the she-cat as she spoke, "My decision is final."

Without another word, she descended from above and landed neatly on the ground. She moved towards the enterance, not waiting to be followed. She had done this many times and knew her loyal companions would be behind her. Adrenaline coursed through her veins and she quickened her pace. No matter how many times she had attended a gathering, it still excited her. But this time, she wouldn't be delivering happy news. They were BreezeClan, and they weren't about to have lives stolen from them for nothing. She wanted an answer. Why would MistClan do this? The small group of cats neared the borders, and the Island came into view. It looked dismal in the dark of the menacing lake. She paused, a moment at the edge, to resolve wavering. With determination, he leapt on to the fallen log that served as a bridge. Heatherstar ignored the deep depths of water beneath her, just waiting to capture her. The Island just waited in silence. The other Clan had not arrived yet, but soon they would be assaulted by their fishy stench. The she-cat took a deep breath, and a proud smile spread across her features as she lead her Clan onto the sacred Island. They streamed across the damp, earthy ground. Although they were alone, the gathering had already begun.


	4. Mingle if you Must

**I apologise in advance for how sloppy this is, and I assure you I will try and edit it at a later date. I'm trying my hardest to update every day, but it obviously has it's consequences. Let me know what you think!**  
**Please PM me some cats for the Clans! I am looking for two or more main characters, but you can also simply submit "normal" ranks! c:**

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**Five Moons Ago..**

The grey she-cat was all too aware of the full moon's coming since the previous half-moon. Weeks gave away to days, which gave away to hours, and now they were in the last minutes before their leader, Reedstar, would announce who would be attending this gathering. The tension hung around the camp like a thick fog, filling her lungs and weighing her down with every breath. From her perch on the sunning rocks, Mintfur could see Reedstar sat outside the enterance of his den, a frown etched across his features. Tonight must be stressful for him. Unlike most gatherings, Reedstar would not be selecting who he wanted to attend. No. Instead, he had informed the deputy that he would choose those who would be most beneficial to the Clan incase, StarClan forbid, trouble broke out.

Despite the twisted feeling inside her stomach, Mintfur wore a mask of calmness and authority. Her expression remained the same, except a slight twitch of the whiskers, when a dark silhouette appeared on the Pebblerocks. Tonight the wind was strong, and his pelt seemed to blaze as the icy breaths boxed it around. Reedstar had a strong stance, and his green eyes were iced over and distant as he called the Clan to be seated around him. Some cats inched closer, while others descended from their dens to hear the leader's words. There was an air of mystery in the camp, and wild guesses of who would be attending were passed from lip to lip. Usually, as deputy, Mintfur would have some sort of idea. But tonight she did not.

"The moon had risen and heralds that the next gathering is soon to begin, I have chosen only a few of you to accompany me, as everyone else should be on alert. Guard the camp closely. Tonight we may discover our enemies, or allies..." A few confused whispers broke out, and without further explanation, Reedstar's green eyes scanned the countless pelts of MistClan. "Mintfur, and Pebblenose. The two of you will attend as is customary."

Mintfur gave a curt nod before continuing to listen attentativley. "Buzzardclaw, Ripplestripe, Minnowleap and Seedpaw." A flick of his plumey tail signaled the end of the announcement as he leaped down from the Pebblerocks. Mintfur hauled her small frame to her paws. The moon had almost reached it's highest point, and it was only a matter of minutes before they were supposed to be at the Island. Surely Reedstar would not wish to have his clan labelled slackers by the rabbit-eaters?

"We head out immediatley!" A slight smile spread across the light grey she-cat's face. Through the seperating crowd, she watched Reedstar as he sat, regally, at the front of the thorn surrounded enterance, his tail wrapped neatly around his paws. He had his back to the Clan, but Mintfur could tell by his twitching ears that he was listening. Most of the named cats were gathered, just slightly behind their leader, and Mintfur loped across the sandy clearing to join them. In less than a heart-beat, he slipped through the thorn barrier and Mintfur listened as his paw's beat the earth as he bolted away from camp.

The cats gave chase to their leader, all forgetting about their burdens for this short period of time. They moved like a snake, slithering through the reed's as one. They arrived at the fallen tree maybe too soon, and at once silence fell again. Mintfur licked her white chest-fur a few times, a feeble attempt to tame the wild style the undergrowth had given her.

She carefully made her way over the tree, brittle bark collapsing into the waters below with each paw step. It didn't worry her at all, for she was a MistClan cat, and even if she did fall in to the cold waters below? She could swim. Goodluck to the rabbit-chasers, she thought. A smirk wiped across her face as she dropped on to the worn grass of the Island. If you looked closely enough, you could see the thousands of paws that had walked these soils.

"Mingle if you must, but stay cautious. We don't know what they have done.." Reedstar whispered, staring up at the stars that dotted the blue-black sky for a few seconds. Another gust of wind made the leaves of the oak tree's dance, carrying the scent of BreezeClan with it. A sharp flick of his tail freed the small group to do as they pleased, altough Mintfur had a feeling that tonight would not be one of friendships. The atmosphere was thick and filled with hate.


	5. Ominous Clouds

**Sorry it's taken so long to get up. I wasn't really sure where I wanted to go with this, and I've re-written it a few times now. I hope you enjoy. Please don't forget to let me know what you think!  
**

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**Five Moons Ago..**

The full moon bathed the sea of cats in a milky light. Gatherings were usually a time of peace and unity, where the two Clans would come together as friends. Where borders and labels were forgotten. But tonight would be different, and StarClan knew it themselves. Ominous, dark clouds milled around the full moon, ready to conceal the silver disc that hovered overhead.

There was an obvious divide in the cats tonight. Maybe it was the dark whispers between the warriors of BreezeClan, or the quick glances of MistClan cats. The two leaders sat quite literally on opposite ends of the ancient oak branch, however their postures mirrored one another - head high, tail wrapped neatly around their paws, and shoulders back. An obvious tension hung over the Island like a dreary, damp fog.

"Let us gather to.." Heatherstar paused, casting a hard stare at the MistClan cats, "celebrate what has gone on in the last moon. Reedstar, do you wish to go first?"

The brown tom dipped his head slowly, before advancing carefully on to a lower branch. Reedstar dug his claws in to the sturdy branch - he had never been a fan of heights, and even after standing on this perch seventeen times, he still couldn't bring himself to trust it completely.

"MistClan has been fine. Prey is running well. Thornstrike and Lightstep are expecting kits," he paused to allow the small cheer from MistClan to die down, "and Cloverpaw and Goldenpaw have recently become apprentices. All in all, MistClan is as strong and healthy as ever." Reedstar dipped his head and stepped back on to the thicker oak branch. A small amount of murmurs rippled through his Clan mates.

"BreezeClan has an abundance of prey over the past few sunrises, and it is only making us stronger." Heatherstar spoke loudly, her plumy tail lashing in the air behind her. "Swallowcloud, Flintsplash and Bluestorm have received their warrior names. However, we are mourning the loss of Aspenfur; a mother, mentor and friend to many," the grey she-cat glared at the small crowd of MistClan cats, a slight hiss shooting off her lips.

"What are you suggesting, Heatherstar?" Reedstar challenged.

"We want to know which one of your warriors stole Aspenfur's life!" she spat, not facing the other leader but instead clawing at the branch beneath her. "She was found in the lake, where your warriors frolic on a daily basis!"

"And she smelled of fish! And what do you eat?" snorted Beetlewhisker, the deputy of BreezeClan. "Fish-eaters!"

"I'll have you know that two _kits_ were pulled from the shore! Do you know how distraught their mother was when we brought their sodden bodies back to camp? They barely had a chance to live!" Reedstar was standing now, his tail erect and eyes narrowed. "What was that, your revenge? Killing kits because you thought my cats were murderers?"

"Kit-killers!" somebody called out from the group of cats. A loud chorus of voices rang out in the clearing, and pelts were on end by now. Claws were unsheathed and fangs were bared, and the two opposing sides were closing in on one another..

"Silence!" a voice screeched. It was Pebblenose of MistClan, a grey she-cat who had taken up the life of a Medicine Cat. She was a skilled healer, and usually remained quiet - it was quite a shock to the flames of anger burning in her green eyes. "As decreed by StarClan, the gatherings are a time of peace and truce. That doesn't allow you to tear each others pelts off! They have shown their displeasure at your actions - look, they have ordered the clouds to cover the moon."

"The gathering is over." Reedstar continued, eyes raking across the small group of cats which had gathered. It was obvious to him now that BreezeClan must of had a similar idea - they were all broad, muscular cats. Not selected for no reason. "MistClan are sorry for your loss, Heatherstar, but we are not the reason she had joined StarClan."

The tom shook out his pelt before making his way down the tree. "MistClan, we are leaving." he announced, tail high in the air as he strutted across the ancient soil. Heatherstar waited a few moments before following suit.

The murders had been announced, but somehow it didn't seem like the right thing to do. If the cats of the Clans were not responsible, then who was?


	6. MistClan Allegiances

**MISTCLAN**

**Leader :**  
Reedstar - a brown tabby tom with green eyes.

**Deputy :**  
Nettlefoot - a lithe, mottled brown she-cat with green eyes.

**Medicine Cat :**  
Pebblenose - a grey she-cat with darker tabby markings and green eyes.

**Medicine Cat Apprentice :**  
Smallpaw - a pale golden furred she-cat with white paws and deep blue eyes.

**Warriors :**  
Brackenlight - a sleek light brown she-cat with green eyes.

Mothflight - a slender golden brown she-cat with darker dapples and green eyes.

Cricketleap - a lean sandy brown tom with darker tabby markings around his face and amber - yellow eyes.

Toadsplash - a dark brown tom with amber eyes.

Marshclaw - a broad shouldered mottled brown tom with amber eyes.

Snakeshade - a dark brown tabby tom with green eyes.

Wetwhisker - a blue grey tom with amber eyes.

Ripplestripe - a grey tabby tom with amber eyes.

Newtsplash - silver she-cat with white markings and blue eyes.

Thornstrike - a tabby tom with amber eyes.

Falconheart - a light brown tom with amber eyes.

**Apprentices :  
**Goosepaw - a light grey tom with a fluffy pelt and green eyes.

Seedpaw - a light brown tom with yellow eyes.

Shellpaw - a sandy brown she-cat with white splashes and green eyes.

Cloverpaw - a cream she-cat with green eyes.

Honeypaw - a golden furred she-cat with white markings and blue eyes.

**Queens :  
**Minnowleap - a dainty grey tabby she-cat with green eyes.

Lightstep - a ginger and white she-cat with amber eyes.

**Elders :  
**Cloudface - a ginger she-cat with a white face and amber eyes.


	7. BreezeClan Allegiances

**BREEZECLAN**

**Leader :**  
Heatherstar - a light grey she-cat with wispy, long fur and green eyes.

**Deputy :**  
Beetlewhisker - a black tom with amber eyes.

**Medicine Cat :**  
Appleleaf - a ginger and white she-cat with pretty green eyes.

**Warriors :**  
Swiftstrike - a tall, muscular white she-cat with black splashes and pale green eyes.  
Cinderpoppy - a lithe, thick-furred pale gray she-cat with very dark green eyes.  
Lillyfrost - a sleek, slender pure white she-cat with dark green eyes.  
Crowtalon - a broad-shouldered coal black tom with pale yellow eyes and a torn right ear.  
Briarcloud - a pretty brown and white she-cat with amber eyes.  
Bumbleflight - a pale brown tabby tom with faint black markings and amber eyes.  
Sedgeclaw - a broad shouldered tom with a dusty brown pelt and yellow eyes.  
Mallowfoot - a cream and brown she-cat with amber eyes.  
Swallowcloud - a long-legged blue grey she-cat with white splashes and green eyes.  
Bluestorm - a broad-shouldered blue grey tom with pale green eyes.  
Flintsplash - a tall dark grey tom with white markings and yellow eyes.

**Apprentices :**  
Mudpaw - a creamy white tom with brown splashes and yellow eyes.  
Birchpaw - a white and grey tabby tom with dark green eyes.  
Daisypaw - a grey she-cat with ginger and white markings and pale green eyes.

**Queens :**  
Doveflight is a slender, very pale grey tabby she-cat with pale green eyes.

**Elders :**  
Eagleheart - a muscular, broad-shouldered golden brown tom with yellow eyes. A battle wound has left him blind and unable to continue his life as a warrior.


End file.
